The making and fitting of dentures is old in the art. However, the making and fitting of dentures in the past has been a time-consuming process requiring the skill of a dentist as well as a technician skilled in fabricating the final denture forms. As a result, the cost of dentures as well as the inconvenience resulting from the time required between measurement and final fitting has dissuaded many people, especially the indigent, from obtaining dentures.
Usually a dentist would make an impression of the patient's gums and the palate if an upper denture is required. A dental technician receives the impression and makes a plaster cast which he places in an articulator which simulates movement of the patient's jaws. After pouring a wax base plate on the cast, false teeth are positioned in the wax. The wax denture is then tried on the patient by the dentist who makes corrections thereto and returns the same to the technician. The technician is only then able to prepare the finished denture product which still requires additional time and tools.
Known methods and apparatus for making and fitting dentures are both disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,685,133 to Greene et al.; 3,335,495 to Wichner ; 3,460,252 to Schneider; 3,644,996 to Weinkle; and 3,909,944 to Schmidt et al.
The Greene patent discloses a method of fitting dentures which comprises selecting from a plurality of different presized upper and lower ridge forms until correctly fitting forms are found. Specifically three standard ridge forms are used. Next prefabricated dentures having tooth facings and corresponding to the selected ridge forms are lined with an impressionable thermosetting bonding material. The prefabricated dentures are then aligned with the gums and are positioned in occlusion into conforming engagement with the gums. After a sufficient time the thermosetting material hardens and provides denture fits for the gums.
The Wichner patent discloses a method of making and fitting dentures by employing a denture base which utilizes an intermediate blank attached to the base and having posts projecting therefrom to receive a plurality of separate individual artificial teeth which are finally adhered to the posts.
The Schneider patent discloses a method and an article for forming a denture which includes a flexible U-shaped tray which has depressions therein for placement of false teeth. A moldable resin which is poured into said tray can be shaped by inserting the tray into the user's mouth and applying pressure to the resin through a protective means such as a polyvinylide chloride film.
The Weinkle patent discloses a prefabricated denture construction and method which involves selection of a suitable ridge form from as many as ten different sizes to which there corresponds a denture base. The denture base is lined on its inner surface with a moldable lining material which tailors the denture base to the jaw of the patient. Artificial teeth can then be attached individually or in groups to complete the denture. If necessary, a further finishing step may include removal of excess lining material which would squeeze out over the ridges of the denture.
The Schmidt patent discloses a denture and method of making the same. A unitary wax pattern of appropriate size is selected. The wax pattern has an arc-shaped channel similar to the denture and simulating the gingival tissue. The wax pattern on its outer base structure has a plurality of sockets adapted for receipt of artificial teeth. Fitting of the wax pattern to a ridge of the mouth is accomplished by using impressionable material. In the final stage artificial teeth are chosen and inserted into sockets which are provided in the base structure of the wax pattern. After additional functional checks of the bite, the wax pattern is converted to a final denture base material by means of conventional processing procedures.
Although each of the above-mentioned patented methods and products produced thereby is useful in varying degrees, they all suffer from disadvantages to some degree.
The above patents do not provide for a complete customizing of the dentures to the mouth of a patient. After the placement of teeth on the denture form or pattern, further adjustment of the form to account for proper labial aspect, centric occlusal relation, or interocclusal space is difficult to accomplish. Moreover, the Greene and Weinkle patents with their predetermined ridge forms and corresponding prefabricated dentures and the Wichner patent with its intermediate blanks provide undue multiplicity of parts.